By Alex Comstock
We’re on the brink of the best time of year to be out in the woods searching for shed antlers and I’m pretty excited about it. I got out for my first two walks of the year in the past week and even scooped up my first antler. When thinking about shed hunting, I wanted to bring you a Q&A with my good buddy and shed hunting master, Brennen Nading of The Breaking Point. Brennen finds a ton of antlers every year and has a plethora of experience shed hunting. So with that, enjoy our Q&A, and hopefully you pick up a few tips from Brennen!
Q: How Long Have You Been an Avid Shed Hunter?
I’m not so sure I’d consider myself to be an “avid” shed hunter. It was somewhere around 2008 when I really got passionate about looking for antlers. I had found a handful of antlers leading up to that point, but I can recall when something flipped like a switch in my head and I went from being slightly interested to “all in”.
Photo by Brennen Nading
Q: How Many Days a Year Do You Typically Spend Shed Hunting?
I guess I’ve never kept track of how many days I spend searching each year. Mostly because some days I might only have time to walk for a half hour, other days I will walk from sun up to sun down. With smart phone technology, I have started paying more attention to the distances I walk in a season. Last year I logged around 375 miles searching for antlers.
Q: What Do You Feel is The Biggest Mistake Others Make While Looking for Sheds?
Lack of scouting. I think the majority of people that shed hunt, go to an area blind and are left scratching their heads more times than not if they can’t turn up any antlers. A property that is loaded with deer in October and November might not have the cover/food to hold deer in January-March when they are shedding their antlers. This can leave a property appearing to be a ghost-town for someone that goes out looking for antlers.
Q: What Do You Believe To Be Your Biggest Asset That Helps You Find More Antlers?
Not to sound repetitive, but scouting is definitely number one. I spend just as much time driving around and locating deer from January-March than I do walking once the antlers are on the ground. A close second behind scouting is spending time walking every chance that I get.
Photo by Brennen Nading
Q: When it Comes To Shed Hunting, What’s Your Best Piece of Advice to Those Who Struggle to Find Antlers?
Go slow. Search for pieces of antlers. I think a lot of people walk through the woods expecting to see an entire antler laying in the open. Training your eye to look for smaller pieces of antler (tines, bases, etc.) will definitely help with your success. You’d be surprised how many more antlers you will find if you just slow down when you are walking.
Q: A Lot of People Think Shed Hunting is a Waste of Time. Obviously, You Don’t. Can You Explain To Someone Who Might Think it’s a Waste of Time Why You Do it So Often?
If someone sees it as a waste of time, I’m not sure I can convince them otherwise. Some of my best friends, even those that are die hard deer hunters, think I am crazy for spending as much time as I do searching for antlers. It’s just an activity that I really enjoy to do and it helps to pass the time in between deer season and turkey season in the spring. There’s something about finding sheds that helps tie it all together when it comes to piecing together the puzzle for mature deer.
Photo by Brennen Nading
Q: Last One, You Can Only Give One Piece of Shed Hunting Advice to Someone. What Would That Be?
When you go shed hunting, forget about everything else you have going on in life and focus on antlers. Put your phone on silent, and look for antlers. If your mind is wandering about anything but antlers, your chances are going to go down substantially. Go slow, have fun, and good luck!
To see more from Brennen and The Breaking Point, be sure to subscribe to them on YouTube HERE.
